CHENNAI:
Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have announced today to defer recovery of loan amount from Ujjwala beneficiaries for next 6 refills starting from April 01, 2018.
As per the data available, about 70% of the PMUY beneficiaries have availed interest free loan facility provided by OMCs towards financing LPG stove and/or first LPG cost. Under the scheme, OMCs are recovering the subsidy provided on subsequent refills from beneficiaries who have taken loan and adjusting the same towards the loan. Hence net outgo from such beneficiaries is high which is affecting the affordability and thus some of the customers are shifting to alternate fuels.
OMCs are determined to ensure sustainable use of LPG by PMUY beneficiaries as the very objective of PMUY is to provide clean cooking fuel to all the women from BPL families by making their kitchens smokeless. Keeping in line with the spirit of PMUY scheme and the country’s goal to increase the LPG penetration above 90% by 2022, OMCs shall be implementing deferment of loan recovery upto to 06 refills as per the laid out guidelines :
a. The scheme shall be applicable for all the existing PMUY LPG connections who have taken loan for Stove and/ or first LPG cost from OMCs.
b. All PMUY customers who have outstanding loan as on March 31, 2018 will have a deferred recovery of the outstanding amount up to 6 LPG refills.
c. All new consumers who will be enrolled after April 01, 2018 will also have a deferred recovery of the outstanding loan amount up to 6 LPG refills.
This initiative will definitely boost the LPG refill consumption by PMUY customers and shall provide a big push to the country’s sustainable development goals.
